Patrick Wright's memoir opens on a diplomatic
crisis. A growing number of countries are threatening to boycott the
Commonwealth Games in protest of the British government's handling of South
African apartheid. And the problems only get worse.


Patrick Wright was one of the pre-eminent diplomats
of his day, putting him at the forefront of some of the late twentieth
century's most important global events. His six years at the FCO



found him dealing with the backlash from the
Falklands War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, strained relations with the
EU, the First Gulf War and, perhaps most challenging of all, the 'fire and
glares' of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.


Lord Wright's account is not only an essential
documentation of a significant historical period, but witty and entertaining
throughout. He revels in gossip, despairs
at the mischievous press 'painting lurid pictures of Britain versus the
Rest', recalls numerous amusing scenarios and is rather brutal in his
assessment of various high- profile political figures.


A captivating account of the inner dynamics of the
Thatcher Cabinet, all played out in front of a tumultuous global backdrop.